“You have one too? Where did you get it?” Mark was utterly stunned. For a moment, he thought Hazel might have some connection to his estranged brother.
“There’s a secret room in my parents’ study,” Hazel explained. “When I went in once, I found it there. I was worried it might be tied to something dangerous, so I didn’t dare mention it.”
As she spoke, Hazel felt a pang of guilt. These people cared so deeply about her family matters, sharing everything they knew, yet she had withheld this crucial piece of information.
“I’m sorry,” she said earnestly. “I didn’t mean to keep it from you. I was just afraid that knowing about this might put people in danger.”
Her parents’ tragic fate still weighed heavily on her, making her cautious about involving anyone else. These people were family to her now, and she couldn’t bear the thought of putting them at risk.
“This is your family matter,” Mark said gently. “It’s perfectly normal if there are things you don’
Damon watched the scene nervously from the side.Bernard had already faced difficulties outside, and now Mark was scolding him.If Bernard took out all his frustration on Mark, the old man’s current state would surely not be able to withstand it.“Why aren’t you quickly changing clothes and taking a shower? Don’t you want to avoid letting the younger generation laugh at you?”Bernard remained silent, his eyes fixed directly on Mark.Damon and the butler stood to the side, always on alert. If anything went wrong, Damon would immediately step in.The situation held in tense silence for a while, and when Mark saw that Bernard didn’t move, he struck him with his cane again.“What are you standing there for? Go on!”Finally, Bernard responded. He smiled and, like a child, stepped forward and snatched Mark’s cane away.“I’m already this old, and you’re still hitting me. That’s really embarrassing. I’m going to wash up now, so
From a distance, Mark spotted the familiar house.He never expected that, in such a luxurious villa area, there would still be a house just like the one they used to have in their small town.“Grandpa, we’ve arrived.”The car stopped in front of one of the villas, and as soon as it halted, someone came out of the house.It was the butler, helping Bernard, who was leaning on a cane. For some reason, when Damon saw Bernard this time, he no longer felt the same overwhelming, arrogant presence from the other day.Instead, there was a hint of anxiety, as if Bernard feared something yet longed to see his older brother.Hearing the sound, Mark, who had just gotten out of the car, turned his gaze toward the villa entrance.Both brothers’ hair had turned gray, their deep-set eyes locked onto each other, and in their gazes, they saw a sense of release.At their age, continuing to hold onto grudges seemed meaningless.“
Hazel gradually calmed down, thanks to Damon’s persuasion. Her eyes were still fixed on Harold, the crimson in her gaze not yet fully faded. “Then tell me, what exactly did you discuss with my parents? What should we do now to successfully rescue them?”Seeing that Hazel had calmed down, Harold finally began to explain their plan in detail.In fact, he had only recently learned that Hazel’s parents were still alive. When Hazel was captured, Harold’s first thought was about her parents.Just as he was about to call Novaria, Novaria called him at the same time, discussing Hazel’s capture.It turned out that Novaria and the others had always kept someone around Hazel for protection. However, the person they sent this time was no match for Bernard, so they could only track Hazel and eventually discovered the mastermind behind her capture, which they then reported to Novaria.Once Novaria learned it was related to Country D, he immediately thought
Bernard had also set up a team to research the Shadow Vial X.Over the years, there hadn’t been much progress, which was why he had turned his attention to Hazel.It was a stroke of luck that he had managed to test and discover that the Shadow Vial X had been placed on Hazel by Novaria.He thought to himself, considering the value of such a thing—it’s only natural to worry about someone else taking it. It needed to be placed somewhere secure, somewhere he trusted the most.And since it was such a rare and precious thing, it was only fitting that it be given to the one person he loved and trusted most. Apart from Hazel, Novaria and Jacob seemed to have no one else closer to them.“It’s impossible not to figure it out. Who do you think is most likely to successfully research the Shadow Vial X in this world?”The butler paused for a moment before replying, “Apart from Hazel’s parents, I really can’t think of anyone el
Bernard gave a look to the person behind him, and that person immediately left.Xander didn’t know what Harold and Bernard had discussed, but seeing Bernard’s surprised expression, it seemed like rescuing Hazel and the others would be no problem."If this is true, then I will certainly do as Mr. Walter wishes. But just like you mentioned earlier, I must keep a vial of Hazel’s blood."As long as they could safely bring Hazel out, a vial of blood wouldn’t be a big issue."Naturally. That’s something I already promised you. But I’m curious, now that I’ve shared this information with you, what will you do with that person?"Bernard’s expression shifted slightly, and his deep gaze turned toward Harold, as if trying to discern something from him.But no matter how much he looked, he couldn’t find any clues. Harold’s demeanor remained calm, as though he didn’t care about anything.If he truly didn’t care, he wouldn’t have come all the way he
If Damon hadn’t come here this time, there wouldn’t have been this moment of fake sentimentality."Is it for the Shadow Vial X?"Bernard smiled, a hint of cunning in his expression that made Damon uncomfortable."You see, you already know, don’t you? I told you, with your level of intelligence, you shouldn’t have any doubts about why I called her here."As he spoke, Bernard started to walk out. From the moment Damon asked that question, the atmosphere between them no longer called for any warmth.When they returned to Hazel and Sully, Damon’s eyes were still guarded, constantly watching Bernard.Even as he got closer to Hazel, he positioned himself defensively in front of her, as if afraid that Bernard might do something harmful to her."You're still just a child. Do you even understand your current situation? Do you think standing in front of her will actually help her? Instead of this, you might as well discuss with her and
"I’m not sure if you’ll like these dishes, but I found the best chefs and made sure this is the most luxurious local meal." Bernard sat at the head of the table, signaling the butler to guide Hazel and the others to their seats. After exchanging some pleasantries, Bernard gestured for them to start eating. However, only he picked up his utensils. The others exchanged glances, yet no one touched their food. "What's wrong? Are you afraid I’ve poisoned the food?" Bernard chuckled, picking up some food and placing it in his mouth. Then he motioned for the butler to serve him more dishes, tasting almost everything. "Now that I’ve tasted every dish, you can eat without worry, right?" Bernard smiled at the young ones before him, his expression tinged with a hint of helplessness, as if dealing with children in their rebellious phase. Just then, Sully’s stomach growled loudly, and Damon looked at her and Hazel, then nodded. They were on B
Hazel and the others had just arrived when the two groups of people set off toward their location.Upon reaching a villa area, Hazel and the others transferred to a shuttle bus, and the three of them finally sat together.Perhaps because they believed there was no way to escape after entering the villa area, they let their guard down. Apart from the driver, no one else sat with them.Along the route, there were plenty of burly men similar to the ones they had seen earlier. It was clear that trying to run away now was out of the question.After passing through the gate into the villa area, it was evident from their relaxed demeanor that escaping from this place was simply impossible."Do you two still have your phones?" Hazel frowned.Sully and Damon both shook their heads. "They were taken away. Don't worry, I made a deal with Grandpa. If I don't call him within half an hour to report our safety, he'll send someone to find us."Damon
Harold immediately sensed something was amiss. With a glance at his assistant, he silently instructed the man to hand over his phone to Xander.Xander, having memorized Hazel’s number, quickly dialed.Inside the car, Hazel’s phone suddenly rang. She pulled it out, barely glancing at the screen before the man beside her snatched it away and powered it off."Apologies, Miss Queen," the man said, his tone firm yet polite. "The boss has ordered that you are not to communicate with anyone until you meet him."At the next red light, Ellie stopped the car and turned around, her expression tinged with regret."You don’t know our boss," Ellie said, her voice low. "If we don’t follow his orders to the letter, the consequences for us will be severe."When her phone was taken, Hazel had caught a glimpse of the caller ID—a number she didn’t recognize.Trying to think positively, she speculated it might be Xander